More advances in lens removal continued in the 1950s and 1960s. However, while these techniques led to a very safe and successful operation, it left the patient without a lens in the eye to focus the image on the retina. - In 1957, Barraquer of Spain used alpha-chymotrypsin to enzymatically dissolve the zonules for removal of the lens.
- In 1961, Krawicz of Poland introduced Cryo-surgery that removed the lens with a tiny probe attached by freezing a small area on the surface of the cataract.
- In the late 1960s, Charles Kelman of New York developed a technique for emulsifying the lens contents using ultrasonic vibrations and aspirating the emulsified cataract.
 It was not until Harold Ridley introduced the intraocular lens during the 1940’s in England that efficient and comfortable visual rehabilitation became possible after cataract surgery. The intraocular lens, or IOL, is a permanent plastic lens implanted inside the eye to replace the crystalline lens. In recent decades, there has been a rapid evolution of designs, materials and implantation techniques for intraocular lenses, making them a safe and practical way to restore normal vision at the time of surgery.
What does the future hold? Improved knowledge of toxic chemicals, cataract-causing drugs and harmful radiation may enable physicians to reduce the incidence of cataracts. The incredible techniques and materials historically developed, along with the rapid improvements in ophthalmology in recent decades, have made the miracle of modern cataract surgery safe and effective.
|
